Early retirements leave state agencies struggling

Retirements leave agencies short

By Brian Lockhart, staff writer

Published
1:20 am EDT, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Ask any state agency what effect the early retirement of 3,800 longtime employees has had this summer, and the official response is typically an optimistic message about making do during an extraordinary budget crisis.

But documents supplied to The Advocate by Gov. M. Jodi Rell's budget office paint a picture of a state government that, in many cases, is struggling to provide services, move ahead with important projects and meet federal guidelines.

"Service shortfalls in branch staff are of great concern," read one memo from the Department of Motor Vehicles, which lost 68 staffers. "Waiting time ... has significantly increased. The scheduling of driver tests has expanded to 60 days and is increasing."

Many departments are asking for a hiring freeze to be lifted so they can fill vacancies in more than 1,600 positions.

Rell, a Republican, and the Democrat-majority Legislature offered the early retirement incentive earlier this year to trim the size of government in the face of a two-year budget deficit that currently stands at $8.55 billion.

Over the past few weeks, about 50 agencies and commissions submitted plans to cope with the vacancies to budget director Robert Genuario, of Norwalk, and his team. Though many are trying to restructure, they said there is no way they can function without hiring some new personnel.

Smaller departments, such as the Economic and Community Development and Emergency Management/Homeland Security, asked to be allowed to fill all their vacancies.

"The successful fulfillment of the Emergency Management/Homeland Security mission is critical to the public safety of the state," a department official wrote to Genuario. "It is imperative that the agency has sufficient minimum staff in place to assist the many local, state and federal partners."

The Department of Agriculture, which lost a half-dozen employees who performed animal and shellfish inspections, raised the specter of a public health disaster.

"The agency was already running with a bare bone staff," read the refill request. "These are vital positions. ... A major disease outbreak could be devastating to not only agriculture but to the population."

And the Department of Public Health, which is seeking to replace 27 of 66 retirees, told Genuario the losses might require "compromises" in such key areas as nursing-home inspections, drinking-water regulation, child safety and lab testing.

Some of the state's larger agencies are hoping to recoup at least half, if not more, of the hundreds of employees who ended their careers this summer.

"I don't think it's any secret DOT's staffing levels have been low for some time," department spokesman Kevin Nursick said. He said about half of the 130 openings are "front-line" workers responsible for paving roads, plowing and salting in the winter, mowing, repairing potholes, repairing traffic signals and other infrastructure upkeep.

The Department of Social Services lost 250 staffers and wants to replace 170.

"Not since the early retirement and layoffs experienced six years ago has DSS experienced the 'perfect storm' scenario that exists today," officials wrote Genuario.

According to DSS, the poor economy has more state residents, including those in the suburbs, turning to the state for food and medical services.

In May 2008, the average DSS worker handled 720 cases. That number now stands at 905 and is climbing because of the early retirements, the department said.

The agency warned Genuario that "this 'collision,' coupled with an increasing demand by the federal government for greater accountability and efficiency in all the programs we administer, sets the stage for increasing federal penalties and sanctions."

Other agencies are similarly concerned about being unable to meet federal requirements.

The Office of Workforce Competitiveness asked Genuario for the ability to replace its one retiree, saying, "With all the responsibilities and new opportunities as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this would seriously impede our operations and new funding for the state."

Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell wants to replace two of his 12 retirees who were licensed real property appraisers and played important roles in the lending market.

"Because lending is involved, there is an oversight committee down in Washington that comes here every two years to do an audit of how we've done in regard to licensing," Farrell said in an interview. "If the audit does not go well, Connecticut stands to have its appraisal licensing program decertified. This almost happened in 2000. ... Then any federally backed lending would come to a halt in Connecticut."

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner lost four personnel, including a chemist and a deputy chief, and wants to replace all of them.

"Without these positions, the agency will suffer delays not only in the work performed but also in responding to families who expect the autopsy findings and lab results to be provided within a reasonable timeframe," the department said. "It will also cause insufferable delays in court proceedings."

And the Chief State's Attorney's Office hopes to fill 29 of its 32 vacancies.

Rell's early retirement incentive hurts some of the very initiatives the governor has been touting.

Rell recently held a news conference to ask residents to be on the lookout for the invasive Asian long-horned beetle. But according to the documents provided by her budget office, the state's agricultural experiment station lost an assistant scientist who was key to finding ways of protecting trees from the beetle. Station officials requested permission to hire a replacement.

And while Rell's most recent two-year budget proposal relies in part on the collection of back taxes by the Department of Revenue Services, that agency is down 32 positions considered "direct revenue producers." DRS officials asked Genuario to refill half of those jobs.

Genuario said his office and the governor are reviewing all the requests. He said that even if positions are filled, the state can still realize some of the savings intended by the early retirements.

"Savings comes in two ways: a reduction in the overall work force and a lower salary for the replacement worker," Genuario said. "Not all requests are approved. And I think it's fair to say the approvals will result in a smaller work force."